Stalker scratched ‘rape’ onto woman’s car during terrifying campaign

Karon Kelly

A terrified woman found the word “rape” scratched into the paintwork of her car during a sinister stalking campaign by her ex-boyfriend.

Dean McCaskell had targeted the woman with repeated texts, calls and unwanted visits before her Ford Focus came under attack last November.

You are, plainly, a bully, You want to get your own way in relationships and if you don’t, you resort to abuse.

Mr Recorder Preston

Newcastle Crown Court heard the 23-year-ld felt unable to drive with her baby daughter in the car, which had other offensive words etched onto it, until after £2,000 worth of repair work. She told police she felt “harassed and stalked, 24-7”.

McCaskell, 26, of Barnard Court, South Shields, admitted stalking and was jailed for 18 months.

Mr Recorder Preston said McCaskell’s behaviour towards the woman was “disturbing” and branded him a “bully”. The judge told him: “The damage caused to the car included a disturbing sexual threat of violence, the word ‘rape’ being etched into it, which was, I am sure, distressing and concerning.

“In short, you made her life miserable. This kind of bullying, abusive behaviour is not acceptable.”

The court heard McCaskell has convictions for battery against a previous partner.

He also has two convictions for harassment and three for breaching restraining orders against the women.

The judge told him: “You are, plainly, a bully, You want to get your own way in relationships and if you don’t, you resort to abuse. Scratching the word ‘rape’ onto the car is horrific, the threat of sexual violence.”

The judge made McCaskell the subject of a restraining order, meaning he must stay away from the woman for good.

Neil Pallister, prosecuting, told the court how after a bitter split, which led to McCaskell’s harassment convictions in 2011, the woman agreed to give the relationship another go. She became pregnant and they moved in together around April 2014.

They parted that summer after McCaskell went on a weekend drinking binge, and the woman said the relationship was over.

Mr Pallister said: “He really would not accept it. He would turn up at the address uninvited, bang on the front door. If she wasn’t in, he would go into the shed in the back garden and wait for her to return. She became so frightened of his behaviour she would ring and speak with neighbours to see whether or not he was at her home before she’d return.”